John Legend Becomes the Youngest (And First Black Man) EGOT Winner

Before Sunday, only 12 people in the history of the entertainment industry could qualify for that most elite of statuses: “EGOT.” Now, the number stands at 15, as John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice all found themselves sharing a Creative Arts Emmy for producing the year’s best variety special, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. But it’s Legend whose case is most fascinating, as the 39-year-old became the youngest person ever to be able to say he’s won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. He can also make the claim of being the first black man who complete the circuit, although not the first black American—that title would go to Whoopi Goldberg.

Legend was also the star, playing the title character of Jesus in NBC’s production of Superstar, so he might have the opportunity to lump on a second Emmy award during tonight’s Primetime Emmy broadcast. But regardless of that outcome, Legend’s status as a premiere entertainer has already been etched into stone, alongside other EGOT winners such as Audrey Hepburn and Mel Brooks.

“Before tonight, only 12 people had won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in competitive categories,” wrote Legend on Instagram, acknowledging the moment. “Sirs Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice and I joined that group when we won an Emmy for our production of their legendary show Jesus Christ Superstar. So happy to be part of this team. So honored they trusted me to play Jesus Christ. So amazed to be in such rarefied air.”

Naturally, Legend’s wife, model Chrissy Teigen, was pretty much beside herself with pride in her husband’s accomplishment. On Twitter, she lionized the group of new EGOT winners, dubbing them the EGOT GOATS in the tweet embedded below.

Congrats to Legend for breaking down another racial barrier, and for the big win.